SYRACUSE, N.Y. -
The No. 3 Maryland men's lacrosse team advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the first time since 1998 with a 13-7 win over No. 5 Massachusetts in the NCAA Quarterfinals held at the Carrier Dome on Saturday afternoon. It will be the Terps' 17th overall trip to the national semifinals and the third trip for head coach Dave Cottle - his first with Maryland.

The Terps (12-3 overall) will play the winner of the Virginia/Georgetown NCAA Quarterfinal which will take place at Towson on Sunday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. The NCAA Semifinals will be played next Saturday, May 24 at the newly re-named M&T Bank Stadium (formerly Ravens Stadium) in Baltimore. The Maryland game will be the second in a doubleheader slated to begin at 11:30 a.m. (approx. 2:30 p.m.)

Senior captain Mike Mollot (Holbrook, N.Y.) led the way for the Terps as he tallied four goals and added an assist in the win. Three other Terps scored two goals: Matt Brock (Manakin-Sabot, Va.), Brian Hunt (West Chester, Pa.) and Ryan Moran (Setauket, N.Y.). ACC Rookie of the Year Joe Walters (Rochester, N.Y.) scored his team-high 33rd goal of the year and added three assists for the Terps.

Maryland outscored the Minutemen 8-3 over the middle two quarters to build an insurmountable 10-5 lead at the end of three quarters.

Goalie Danny McCormick (McLean, Va.) was sensational in goal again, as he made 15 saves keeping UMass at bay. The Terps' defensive trio of Michael Howley (Wantagh, N.Y.), Chris Passavia (Stony Brook, N.Y.) and Lee Zink (Rowayton, Conn.) shut down UMass' top two scorers blanking Jeff Zywicki and Kevin Leveille in the point column. Leading scorer Zywicki (41 goals/ 61 points) was shutout by Zink, marking the fourth straight game Zink held his man scoreless.

Mollot scored the Terps final two goals for Maryland including a sensational behind-the back shot to seal the Terps' victory.

The Terps poured it on in the third quarter as they outscored the Minutemen, 4-1 as Hunt scored two goals to finish a run of three consecutive goals in a span of 3:27 to make to 10-5 after three quarters. Mollot and Moran scored the Terps' first two goals of the quarter sandwiched around a UMass tally by Kevin Glenz. Maryland's defense continued to stifle the Minutemen in the third as McCormick made several point blank saves including two in a row from Zywicki in rapid fire midway through the quarter.

Maryland's offense got into gear in the second quarter as Brock tallied his second of the game and third of the NCAA playoffs with a rip into the high left corner with 9:21 left in the second quarter. UMass retaliated as Tony Ventiquatro scored after missing the last five games with a broken collarbone, to make it 3-3 with 7:59 left in the half.

The Terps ripped off the next three goals in 3:40. Mollot scored a pretty goal as he netted a wrap-around from the right side of the goal to beat goalie Bill Schell with 5:20 left in the half. Then, Walters scored off a pass from behind the cage from Mollot to make it 5-3. Justin Smith concluded the run as he beat his defender and then scored into a high corner as he was pushed from behind to make it 6-3 with 1:40 left in the half. UMass won the ensuing face-off and Chris Fiore scored an unassisted goal as he was falling to the turf with 1:24 left in the half to make it 6-4 at intermission

UMass jumped out to the quick 2-0 lead as Chris Doyle and Sean Morris scored in the first 2:54 of action. Maryland then rallied back as Moran took a clearing pass from the goalie McCormick and converted a fast break just 4:43 into the game. Maryland then knotted the score as Brock scored his first of the game with a laser into the high left corner of the net with 8:25 left in the quarter. Both teams then played outstanding defense for the remainder of the quarter. McCormick made seven saves in the period to equal his best effort of the season in a quarter.